Emmetts Garden

In the mid-1990s I volunteered to be a helper for The National Trust during the six-week school summer break. I didn't feel like being shut inside a building as a room warden, and as luck would have it, they were trying out having garden wardens at Emmetts Garden.

The house is uninteresting, and is leased out to private residents. Apparently at some stage the roof on the original two-storey building had the roof cantilevered up to allow for the building of another floor.

This is the highest garden in Kent, South East England, and the views over the surrounding countryside are breathtaking. My own photos are much better than these googled ones, but they are not on my digital cameras, so I could not upload them in a hurry.

In spring the woods are covered in bluebells. The autumn colour of the trees is stunning. Unfortunately the uncertain timing of the seasons for the past several years means that the gardens have often closed to the public for the winter before the trees have turned, and the bluebells' appearance is unpredictable. Even though I go there several times most years, I've never seen the Davidia involucrata in bloom. (It's known as the Pocket Handkerchief, or Dove, Tree because of the large white flower bracts, and it's very rare in the UK).

In October 1987 there was a hurricane in the south of England, and whole swathes of woodland were flattened. Ide Hill, where Emmetts stands, was particularly badly affected. Below is a google picture of the aftermath. The large tree on the left of the picture below is a giant redwood, and it has the highest treetop in Kent. As you approach from the north via the M25 motorway, you can see it in the distance like a giant lollipop.

When I was performing my garden warden duties, some American visitors asked me why it was called Emmetts - was it after the family that built the house? I told them that Emmett is an old word for ants, and the place was so-called after the many anthills on the site. They didn't believe me!

Next time I'll lie.